Be careful in scotland!!!

[Doc]

I was up at largs for a sailing event with my son recently and asked at the dive shop if it was worth having a dip.blackeye frosty silence, a sharp intake of breath and a rant about spearo's followed ending with a threat to spear me if I tried it.

Sounds like someone has upset the locals by spearing with tanks at a local dive site.:rcard

Friendly spot otherwise:friday

Back in devon now so feel much safer.

 

[Huan]

I had that before in a local dive shop, I put them straight about spearing and how selective it is.
Many Dive shop owners just swallow the whole spearfishing is bad thing trotted out by dive organisations without knowing anything about the sport.
Use your intellect to make a difference and educate the ignorant.

 

[gutshot]

I was up at largs for a sailing event with my son recently and asked at the dive shop if it was worth having a dip.blackeye frosty silence, a sharp intake of breath and a rant about spearo's followed ending with a threat to spear me if I tried it.

Sounds like someone has upset the locals by spearing with tanks at a local dive site.:rcard

Friendly spot otherwise:friday

Back in devon now so feel much safer.

You should name and shame the dive shop. I love people getting shirty with me about it, especially when you get to point out how ill informed they are!

 

[The_frogger]

I have come across this myself here in the UK and in Malta recently, dive shops in general seem dead against it. Then, when you put them right they pretend to agree with you but insist it's not the one or two responsible spearos that are the problem but 'the idiot locals' (their words not mine) who apparently shoot anything, any size, whatever. Unfortunately a few years ago I saw such local idiots shoot a big moray eel and a very big potato bass on a protected reef at Sodwana bay in SA. Both the moray and the bass were local scuba points of interest. They just shot them and left them in the sea I guess because they knew the authorities where patrolling the beach and checking catches. We reported them but nothing seemed to happen about it as they weren't caught in the act and the fish were gone by then. I can sort of get what they are on about but it still doesn't stop me from trying to educate them.

 

[jon penrith]

Had the same response myself from some dive shops , including one person calling me a barsteward(misspell) just because I am a spearo.Also had someone from the marine conservation society banging on about how spearos take all the big bass which are female.I had to point out that taking big bass isnt that easy , as well as the tiny amount of spearo in the UK.Have also had fisherman having a rant as well as nearly running me over and "offering violence". Yup, its a dangerous sport alright!

 

[apneaboy]

I'm going to start going round supermarkets knocking out people who are buying tinned tuna

Lets start a riot!!!!

Maybe we could start just lightly cuffing them accross the back of the head for getting one tin and move on to hitting them with fish accross the face for a special offer 4 pack.

The best post I ever read was a thick angler saying he was more environmentally friendly than spearos 'cos he 'only ate fish from cans because they were already dead'

haha, educate him I challenge any of you!

 

[podge]

haha, educate him I challenge any of you!

You can’t educate Pork mate.:blackeye

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

Had that when I was in Doolin in Co Claire, the local guys i spoke to down the harbour and in the pub seemed to think spearfishing was the source of all evils, and responsible for this, that, and the other. Fear what you dont know/understand I guess.

 

[James T]

Me, Jon Penrith and a bunch of other guys went spearfishing in Ireland a few years ago now and we had a great time. There was some real anti feeling among some but not all the diving community. However I think the main surprise to us all was we weren't allowed to take any crustaceans: lobbys, Crays, Crabs - these were all licensed to the hilt and heading for mainland Europe. All divers including spearo's were looked upon with great suspicion - correct me if I am wrong Jon.

I had a dive school owner tell me he felt that spearfishing was from the dark ages of diving and that that was where it belonged! self righteous old fart. To tell the truth where we went and what we caught was no threat to the local economy anywayrofl

 

[bobdonny]

Surprised to hear the bad sentiment in Ireland...

Hope it didnt taint your view, and AFAIK there are no restrictions on crustaceans bar size restrictions.

I have never dived Doolin, but can imagine it to be a bit small minded, I must go and have a look

 

[James T]

Hi - where we stayed out on the Dingle Peninsula you couldn't have met a more friendly and welcoming bunch and the dive club/accomodation owner was a great chap who had represented Ireland in the world spearfishing championships in the 50/60's. He told us some tales...